Together
by TheDoc811
Summary: Jack and Kate both sit under the stars, just in different camps. Will they be able to find their way back to each other? Oneshot.


Jack Shephard looked up at the night sky. He was lying out on the sand, listening to the ocean. During his first stint on the island, he had instantly emerged as the leader, and, especially in the beginning, Kate had supported him.

Kate.

He wondered where she was, whether she was safe. Miles has said there had been an attack on the temple and that no one had survived. Somehow, Jack couldn't believe that. He knew that Kate was somewhere on the island, and, if she was, he'd find her.

"Kate," he said both to her and himself, "Where are you?"

--

Kate Austen stared up at the night sky, wondering if she'd made the right decision coming with Locke. She knew that she owed Claire, but after the blonde woman had attacked her, she was sure that she had made the right choice in not bringing Aaron back. Kate had come to bring Claire home, a promise both made to herself and the little boy.

She was worried about Sawyer too. He had instantly reverted back to the Sawyer right after the crash. That, and he blamed Jack for the death of Juliet.

Jack.

He blamed himself too, she knew. He always did when someone died, and he was around. His plan had backfired. Yes, they were no longer in the 1970s, but the crash had still happened. They were still stuck on this godforsaken island. In all honesty, Kate wondered why Jack had agreed to set off the bomb in the first place. Did he not want to meet her at all? That thought hurt.

Kate had forgiven Jack sometime in the 70s. She knew that she'd never get over him, and she wasn't sure that she wanted to. Kate had been in love before, but Jack...Jack was different. It sounded cliché, but he was.

She pulled a necklace out from under her shirt, and her fingers found the item it held.

"That ring from the Doc?" Sawyer had appeared, and he sat next to her.

"Yeah," she replied softly. Sawyer knew what had happened between them, and Kate wished that he hadn't asked about the ring.

"Why ya here, Freckles?" he asked, "Why ain't you with him?"

Aaron needs his mother," she answered.

"And, according to Baldy there, she'll get home fine," said the Southerner, "so why aren't ya with Jackass?"

"He was going somewhere with Hurley last I saw him, and he wanted to bring me. Hurley refused."

"Go 'n find him, Freckles," Sawyer ordered, "I'll make sure Claire gets back to the kid."

"Why are you doing this, Sawyer?" Kate asked.

He looked down, "I lost the woman I love, and damnit, Kate, I'm not gonna let that happen to you too."

"Thanks, Sawyer," she replied, "Be safe."

Kate turned and left to pack the few things she had with her, deciding to leave the next morning.

--

The next morning, Jack found himself on a morning stroll-turned-hike. He really had no idea where he was going, but, for once, caution be damned, he would go where he was gonna go.

Later--five minutes after Jack finally realized that he was lost in the jungle, a large branch moved behind the doctor. He jumped, immediately pulling his gun.

"Kate?" he questioned, recognizing the person, and immediately he put the gun back into his jeans.

"Jack!" She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a tight squeeze.

"You're alive," he whispered into her hair, "Thank God. Miles said the temple had been attacked and that no one had survived. I was so worried."

"You thought that I was dead?"

"No," he replied, "I knew, somehow, that you were here somewhere, but I didn't think that I'd run into you in the middle of the forest."

"Well, last night, I was talking to Sawyer--he's at Locke's camp--and he said some things that made me want to find you, so this morning I set off. It's luck that I found you, really," The beautiful brunette explained.

"What did Sawyer say?" Jack asked.

Kate said nothing but instead kissed Jack. He immediately responded, wrapping his arms around her and hers, him.

They broke apart a minute later as Jack spoke, "As much as I'd like to continue this, we've got to get to the beach. I've been out here for hours now. You know how the jungle can be at night."

She nodded solemnly and looked around, "Which way?"

He sighed, "I have no idea."

She pointed to the direction that she'd come from, "Well, it's not that way, and that's east."

Jack turned and surveyed the trees around them. "That way," he decided, gesturing in the opposite direction of where Kate was pointing, "The sun sets closest to us. The west. So if you came from the east, we go that way."

Together they trudged back to camp. Jack broke the silence by saying, "So what _did_ Sawyer say?"

"He said that he didn't what me to lose the person I loved like he had," she explained, blushing a little.

Jack laughed, "Who'd a thought Sawyer would ever say something like that?"

"He changed, Jack," Kate smiled, "Juliet changed him, and now she's gone. He's just lost the woman he loves."

"But why help us?" The doctor asked, "He hates me because it was my idea to set off the bomb. It's my fault."

"It's not, Jack," The brunette replied, "Juliet knew what she was getting into, we all did, but you know Sawyer. He needs someone to blame."

"He still hates me," he retorted.

"But he doesn't hate me," said Kate simply, "He wants me to be happy, and he knows you make me happy."

"You do the same for me," Jack confessed, "I love you, Kate. I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry for everything that happened between us back in the States. Just know that I love you and Aaron. I want a family, but first, I've got to finish everything here on the Island."

"I love you too, Jack," she instantly replied, "and we're going to finish everything here. Then, we can go home and be a family."

He smiled, weaving his hand into hers before kissing her softly, "Speaking of family, did you ever find Claire?"

Kate grimaced. She didn't particularly want to tell Jack that his half-sister had gone mad and tried to kill her. "Yeah," she answered quietly, "but she's not the same." 

"What do you mean?" he asked, realizing the seriousness of her words, "What happened?"

"She's gone mad, Jack," she paused, "She tried to kill me at Locke's camp, but he stopped it. She's angry that I took Aaron, and I don't think she remembers disappearing."

He walked silently for a moment, and Kate was worried that he'd grown angry. Then, he spoke, "Oh."

"That's it?" she questioned, "'Oh?'"

"I really don't know what to say," he replied, "I mean, how does one respond to 'your sister's gone mad'?" She shook her head, signaling that she didn't know either. Jack took a deep breath before saying, "Well, we'll find her and take her home, and then we'll decide what the next step is."

"That's a good plan," said Kate.

They didn't realize how far they had walked, and soon, the beach was in sight. There was a fire lit, and the others were huddled around it. Jack and Kate quietly snuck off to Jack's tent, tired and weary, where they laid down and went to sleep. Neither knew what was ahead, but they'd face as they faced sleep now—together.


End file.
